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00:00Hi, my name is Yuichi Hamada.
00:05My friends and family know me as a normal teenage student at Yokohama High School.
00:09But the truth is, I possess extraordinary powers.
00:14Ever since I was a kid, I had this habit of disappearing into other worlds, fantastical
00:19and magical.
00:20There, I could be whoever I wanted to be, the hero of my own story.
00:26These episodes were particularly active during my childhood, but no more so than my parents'
00:32frequent fights.
00:33He needs more discipline.
00:35His teachers say he's always zoning off in class.
00:39He's got an active imagination.
00:41Not every kid is a good student.
00:42It doesn't mean he's defiant.
00:45We didn't raise him to be lazy and uneducated.
00:48You're too easy on him.
00:50Eventually, Dad would leave the house in a rage.
00:53I always felt like it was my fault.
00:55But at least, I had another world to escape to.
00:58And when I'd return, I'd tell my friends all about my heroic adventures.
01:03I buried the demonic wolves in the snow, one by one, sending them into the icy dimension.
01:09And finally...
01:10Finally what?
01:12You realized you were a crazy person who lives in a delusional fantasy world?
01:16The other bullies started chuckling.
01:19They were making fun of me.
01:20But my friends loved hearing my stories, especially my childhood friend, Jincha.
01:26She would be glued to every word I said.
01:28Despite her support, the bullies just kept getting worse.
01:32Earth to Yuichi!
01:34Snap out of it!
01:35The other bullies were laughing at me again, and everyone was staring.
01:40Time to grow up and stop playing pretend, nerd!
01:43I was so embarrassed.
01:45I felt terrible.
01:47Tell me a story.
01:48That'll cheer you up.
01:49I'm not in the mood.
01:51I don't know, maybe it's time for me to grow up.
01:55I saw Jincha's disappointment, but I couldn't handle the judgment and bullying anymore.
02:00Sometimes, I would secretly hide my ability in adventures because I was afraid how other
02:05kids would react to my crazy stories.
02:08And then, everything fell apart when my dad left us and my mom got sick.
02:13A few months later, mom slipped into a coma, and the power I once had to escape reality
02:18felt like a distant memory of childhood.
02:21Dad came back to me, not because he loved me, but because he pitied me.
02:26We couldn't afford to keep paying the mortgage, so we sold our house.
02:30As a result, I had to move into his tiny apartment.
02:34When I saw the state of it, I was shocked.
02:37Dad was always on my case to improve my grades and be successful, but here he was living
02:42in filth.
02:44Dishes were piled up in the sink, dirty clothes lay all over the floor, and the fridge was
02:49stocked with nothing but TV dinners.
02:52A few years had passed, and I was now in high school.
02:54I had also started working at a convenience store, where my manager was always breathing
02:59down my neck.
03:00The candy bars are all out of order.
03:03There's dirt on the floor in aisle three.
03:05Jincha could tell I was feeling especially down lately, so after work, she showed me
03:09something to cheer me up.
03:11It's called Hongkai Star Rail.
03:13It's a single-player strategy and turn-based game where you can travel across different
03:17worlds through the Astral Express to seal the evil Stellarons threatening the galaxy.
03:23She showed me the gameplay, and it honestly reminded me of the fantasy worlds I used to
03:27travel to.
03:28I know you've been feeling down lately, but now when you're sad, you can just dive into
03:32the game and transport yourself to another universe.
03:35Well, I had nothing else to do in my free time, so I gave it a shot, and I was immediately
03:41hooked.
03:42One day at the convenience store, I was terrified to see the bullies from school perusing the
03:46aisles.
03:47When my manager caught them stealing, he told me to go after them and stop them, just as
03:52I was getting into another trailblaze level in Hongkai Star Rail.
03:56I tucked my phone away and chased them out the door and down the alleyway.
04:01Hey!
04:02Stop running!
04:03They stopped running and turned around.
04:05Wait, I recognize that voice.
04:07You're the geek who can't grow up.
04:10Give me back what you stole, and no one gets in trouble.
04:13Ha!
04:14Or what?
04:15Before I could make a move, one of them pushed me and I fell to the ground as they stood
04:19around me, cackling.
04:20Suddenly, Jincha turned up.
04:22Stop hurting him.
04:23I've got it on camera, and I'm going to post it online if you don't stop.
04:27This got their attention.
04:29I was so worried as they started to gang up on her.
04:32But then, the three of them immediately backed off when a patrol guard showed up.
04:36We're not done with the two of you.
04:38I sat on the ground with my face swollen.
04:41Yuichi, are you okay?
04:43Jincha tried to help me get up, but I pushed her hands away.
04:47You shouldn't have come after me, and now you're going to be in trouble.
04:51I'm sorry.
04:52I was just trying to help.
04:53I don't need your help.
04:55I immediately stood up and ran away, blaming myself for being weak and putting her in danger.
05:01I took the train and gazed out the window.
05:04As I settled in my thoughts, I decided to play Hongkai Star Rail on my phone.
05:08I noticed that I had only one golden ticket left in my account.
05:12I pulled on a character banner, without much hope of winning a five-star character.
05:16But in that moment, I allowed myself to wish for something more.
05:22Suddenly, the train began to rumble, and a strong golden light began to emanate through
05:27the train car.
05:28Then, I guess I must have passed out.
05:31Weren't there coordinates sent out from the space station?
05:34Who cares?
05:35They're here and alive.
05:37Do they look like a mannequin to you?
05:39Weak heartbeat and pulse.
05:41March, you better do CPR.
05:43Huh?
05:44I've never done it before.
05:46Dan Heng, you do it.
05:48Wait, stop it.
05:49He's awake.
05:50Are you alright?
05:51Can you hear me?
05:52Do you remember your name?
05:54I couldn't believe it.
05:56Suddenly, it all came into focus.
05:59Dan Heng, the archivist of the Astral Express from Hongkai Star Rail, in front of me.
06:05And the girl next to him was March 7th, the enthusiastic amnesiac who was saved by the
06:11Astral Express crew.
06:13I, uh, is this some sort of cosplay event?
06:17Or a prank?
06:19Wait, what station is this?
06:20Where am I?
06:21What are you talking about?
06:23We're in Hurt, a space station.
06:25And this is not a very good time to be idle.
06:27The Anti-Matter Legion is laying siege on the station as we speak.
06:31We must go.
06:33I looked around and nothing seemed to be making any sense.
06:36I grabbed my phone and saw my reflection in the screen.
06:40But I didn't look like myself.
06:42I looked exactly like Calus, the Trailblazer.
06:46It suddenly occurred to me that I was in a completely different universe.
06:50I was inside of Hongkai Star Rail.
06:54While I was zoning out, March asked me a question.
06:57Um, so, what's your name?
07:00I... I am...
07:02Suddenly, instead of feeling anxious, I felt a rush of excitement
07:06as I remembered all the difficult moments that I had in my life.
07:10And I had the opportunity to escape those right now.
07:14Yes, I am Calus!
07:17Back home, Jinja was starting to get worried about my whereabouts.
07:21Finally, she visited my house and my dad answered.
07:24Is Yuichi here? I haven't heard from him in days.
07:27A patrol guard from the station contacted me
07:29and informed me that he found his phone in a train carriage.
07:32What?
07:33I just thought he was staying with you.
07:35He never answers me when I call anyway.
07:38May I see that?
07:39Jinja handed my phone over to my dad.
07:41He began scrolling through it.
07:43What are you doing?
07:44I'm checking his text messages to see if there are any clues to his whereabouts.
07:48Jinja looked concerned.
07:50She knew what was in those texts.
07:52My dad looked devastated.
07:54I'm not going home tonight.
07:56My dad's place is disgusting.
07:58He barely gets off the couch and the apartment smells like trash.
08:02Plus, I don't think he's showered in days.
08:04He sadly handed the phone back to Jinja.
08:07Seems like he was miserable here.
08:09Maybe he ran away.
08:11I don't think he would run away. He wouldn't want to worry you.
08:14Jinja tried to give the phone to my father, but he refused.
08:17Keep it. I don't need a useless son.
08:19Jinja took my phone with her back home,
08:22looking at the last application I used before I disappeared.
08:25We saw Honkai Star Rail.
08:28Along with March and Dan Hang,
08:30we managed to defeat the Void Rangers of Anti-Matter Legion.
08:34However, they kept coming without any end in sight.
08:37Suddenly, Himeko appeared and saved us.
08:40As we proceeded further, we reached the supply zone,
08:43where the dreaded Doomsday Beast was waiting for us.
08:46I recalled all my hours of gameplay and put my skills to use.
08:51Dan Hang and Himeko used their ults.
08:54Imperial Dream and Heavenly Flare
08:57to destroy the Anti-Matter Engine and its hands,
09:00which gave me the perfect timing to strike the beast in its most vulnerable state.
09:06We took the Astral Express to Jorillo 6 to face off against Kokolia.
09:11Unfortunately, I was frozen by Kokolia during the battle,
09:14but thankfully, Natasha was able to heal me and cleanse the debuff.
09:18With the help of Serval and Hook,
09:20we were able to defeat Kokolia and free Belobog from eternal freeze.
09:25Our next destination was Zhengzhou Lefu.
09:28When we arrived, Zhengzhou was already under attack,
09:31perpetrated by Lord Ravager Fantilia, who sought the destruction of Zhengzhou.
09:36Things got rough when Fantilia used her habit during the battle.
09:40Our best fighter was injured and fell down.
09:42Luckily, Beilu, a skilled healer from Zhengzhou, was able to use her talent,
09:47Gore Duel of Elixir, to revive our fallen comrade.
09:50With our team back on track and Dan Heng in his powerful Inhibitor Lunae form,
09:55he rode his dragon alongside Jin Yuan's Lightning Lord and Henya,
10:00who provided valuable support.
10:02Thanks to our combined efforts,
10:04we were able to turn the tide of the battle and emerge victorious!
10:09It felt incredible to finally be a hero in my own story,
10:14but as we progressed, I was losing touch with my former reality.
10:18After defeating Fantilia, the crew of the Astral Express returned to their cabin and rested.
10:23Later, I had a dream where I found myself in a small, dark room.
10:28As I looked around, I noticed a girl sleeping at a desk next to a phone,
10:33which had the HSR game open on it.
10:35She looks... familiar.
10:38Then she spoke my name.
10:40Yuichi.
10:42Her voice floated away as she said,
10:44Yuichi.
10:46And suddenly, it all came flooding back to me.
10:49I was Yuichi, an average high school student in Yokohama High.
10:54Has she been by my side all this time?
10:57I held her hands and suddenly, Jinja felt my presence waking up from her sleep.
11:02Yuichi!
11:03She looked around and saw nobody.
11:06The next day, I gathered the team together and came clean.
11:10Everyone, I'm not who you think I am.
11:13I am not of this world, nor do I believe this world is real at all.
11:18I'm Yuichi, just an ordinary guy with terrible luck in life.
11:23I have this ability to disappear into worlds I've imagined,
11:27and I just... pretended to be one of you.
11:30But it wasn't my intention.
11:32You are you, Yuichi Orcalis.
11:36Your adventure with us, your heroic deeds, it was all real.
11:41You'll just have to discover it in yourself.
11:44What are you trying to tell me, General?
11:46Listen, Yuichi.
11:48Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.
11:53In time, you'll understand.
11:56But for now, you must find a way to get back to your world.
11:59Do I really need to?
12:02Didn't you call us here because you want to go back?
12:05I realized now what I must do, to return to the reality where I came from.
12:11Everyone, before I go, I want to have our one last adventure.
12:17We're ready when you are.
12:19Lead the way, my friend.
12:21All right, Yuichi. Let's go!
12:23Our next stop, the Penacone.
12:26Back at home, Jinja was navigating through Penacone, the land of festivities,
12:31not realizing that I was actually a part of the game.
12:34And I wanted to keep it that way for a while.
12:37From there, we wandered through the Dreamscape, which was a fun experience,
12:41solving the Dream Ticker, riding the Bubble Pinball, and becoming a Hanin.
12:46But as we progressed, we found ourselves dealing with Sam, a member of the Stellaron Hunters.
12:52Sam seriously gave us a hard time because of his skill, DHGDR, Supernova Overload.
12:59Welp, immediately used his Synthetic Black Hole to hold Sam for another turn,
13:04while Himeko and Dan Hang poured all their efforts to give me the opening I needed.
13:10Rules are made to be broken!
13:13I put all my strength into my ultimate skill, Stardust Ace.
13:18You have saved your welcome!
13:23After the Sam boss fight, Jinja received a character message.
13:26She was shocked at how the game messages were actually interacting with her,
13:30telling her about my adventure in the game.
13:33And the last message left her in disbelief.
13:36Yuichi is waiting for you at the station.
13:38At first, she was skeptical, but then it all started to make sense.
13:42She knew I used to disappear often during our childhood and would return with a bunch of stories.
13:48One time, she witnessed me transporting, but she always thought it was just a dream.
13:53The station, the train, where his phone was found!
13:56Jinja rushed over to the site of where this all began, and I knew I needed to meet her halfway.
14:02When Jinja arrived on the train, she started looking all over for me.
14:06Yuichi, where are you? I'm here!
14:09The train was eerily quiet when suddenly it rumbled and a strong golden light emanated.
14:16And then we saw each other in what seemed like a dream state.
14:20Jinja, you're here! I can see you!
14:23Jinja walked up to me and then slapped me hard.
14:26Why? Why did you leave me?
14:28I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but it was all too much for me and...
14:34You idiot! Life is full of sad moments just as it is full of happy ones.
14:39You can't just give up every time something bad happens. It wasn't fair, at least for me.
14:45I saw Jinja crying as I reached for her hands in the light.
14:48Seeing her like that, seeing how much I meant to her, I knew she was right.
14:53I couldn't abandon her. I leaned in and kissed her.
14:57A bright light enveloped us both and drew us together.
15:02We were back on the train where it all began. Jinja woke up, but I was unconscious.
15:07Yuichi! Yuichi! Wake up! Help! Everyone!
15:11I had fallen into a coma, probably due to the stress my ability had put on my brain and body.
15:17Later, in the hospital, Jinja was leaving to go home when Dad entered my room with a really worried face.
15:24He rushed up to me and started apologizing for everything.
15:28I read your texts. At first, I was angry, but now I'm so relieved to have you back.
15:34I'm so sorry for not being there for you in your hardest times.
15:38I've cleaned the apartment and even bought fresh food.
15:42It's ready for you, and I'm ready for us to make a fresh start. I love you, son.
15:47Jinja smiled as she closed the door behind her.
15:50A few months had passed, and Jinja had returned to school.
15:53One day, Dad was coming to see me with fresh clothes, but when he reached my door, he dropped everything to the floor.
16:00Yuichi?
16:01I looked at my dad and smiled, like everything was gonna be okay.
16:06When Jinja was walking down the alley, she coincidentally encountered the three bullies who immediately cornered her.
16:12You're that geek's friend, right? We said we weren't finished with you. Where's your little buddy?
16:17I'm not afraid of you.
16:19For a brief moment, they were frightened by her unwavering gaze.
16:22The leader of the bullies immediately raised his hands to strike Jinja when a hand suddenly caught his arm.
16:29What the...
16:30Yuichi?
16:32Go now, before I wipe the floor with your faces!
16:36They smirked slyly, ready to bite, and I braced myself, prepared for battle.
16:41As the bullies charged at me, I chopped the first one in the throat.
16:45Then I swing-kicked the other one in the face.
16:47And finally, it was down to the head honcho.
16:50We engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and I didn't suffer a single blow.
16:55Before Jinja could blink, all three bullies were on the ground, cowering.
17:00Where on Earth did that come from?
17:03Not Earth. Honkai Star Rail.
17:06Luka taught me how to fight, the renowned boxing champion of the Belabog Underworld.
17:10Guess I still have it in me.
17:12I have so many questions.
17:15And I'll answer them.
17:17Right after...
17:19I leaned in and kissed Jinja.
17:22Finally, I didn't want to be anywhere other than exactly where I was.
17:27Promise you'll never leave again?
17:29Promise I won't.
17:30I have everything I need right here.